by Natasha Lair
Last updated: 10:20 AM ET, Tue December 16, 2025
On a recent G Adventures FAM trip through mainland Greece, the man responsible for escorting us from one destination to the next wasn’t just a driver; he is the backbone of a family business that has survived for nearly six decades.
Christos Katsifos has been running Alexander the Great Tours since he was 16, after his father died suddenly at 51.
Founded in 1967, in the central Greek town of Karditsa, the company began as a modest local operation.
“When his father passed away, Christos had no choice,” said Nikos Dimitriou, G Adventures’ Chief Experience Officer, who acted as a translator during the interview with TravelPulse Canada. “From that moment on, he knew this was his life.”
From ages 16 to 18, Katsifos helped manage the office while waiting to qualify for a commercial driver’s licence. Once he turned 18, he began driving professionally, a role he has maintained ever since.
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Today, the family business operates 11 vehicles, including coaches and minibuses, and employs Katsifos, his son, and six additional drivers. While the company works with other partners, it has been collaborating with G Adventures for the past five years, most recently shifting to a direct partnership.
Nikos Dimitriou, G Adventures’ Chief Experience Officer. (Photo Credit: Nikos Dimitriou)
“When G Adventures first approached him, they told him they wanted to work together specifically because it was a family business,” Dimitriou said. “That meant a lot to him.”
Katsifos says the partnership has built stability, consistency, and mutual respect, which have kept the relationship strong.
From his perspective as both driver and owner, working with G Adventures groups has been a positive experience. Katsifos does not speak English and relies on body language, hospitality, and small gestures to connect with travellers. He admits feeling self-conscious about the language barrier, often apologizing for it, even though guests rarely see it as an issue.
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He often stays with the same group for several days at a time, developing a quiet familiarity even without shared language.
"The groups are always very kind, very polite," Katsifos told TravelPulse Canada.
"They respect the bus, they respect the work. That matters.”
He shared that he has never had issues with G Adventures travellers, noting that guests are careful with the vehicle and considerate of the drivers who clean and maintain it after each trip.
Katsifos guides groups through Greece, on roads he knows like the back of his hand. (Photo Credit: Natasha Lair-McKenty)
For Katsifos, remaining a family-run operation is central to the quality of service he provides.
“When you own the business, and you are the one driving, you take responsibility for everything,” he said. “Quality matters more. It’s personal.”
That personal investment, Katsifos believes, would be lost in a larger corporate structure.
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Now approaching retirement age (67 is the limit for drivers in Greece), Katsifos says he doesn’t plan to stop entirely. Instead, he hopes to scale back to shorter, local trips while spending more time with his family, including his first grandchild.
He also dreams of travelling with his wife, this time as a passenger.
His son, Vasilis, will eventually take over the business. For now, however, Katsifos remains at the wheel, safely guiding groups through the roads he knows like the back of his hand, continuing a family legacy that began nearly 60 years ago.
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